Minister Working on Special Visa for Foreign Start-ups

THE HAGUE, 09/11/13 - Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp is to introduce a special visa for foreigners who want to start a business in the Netherlands. During the debate on his budget in the Lower House, Kamp responded positively to a proposal by conservative (VVD) MP Anne-Wil Lucas. She put forward a memorandum with 43 proposals for increasing the opportunities for innovative start-ups in the Netherlands. Foreign knowledge workers and business people are already eligible for a special visa if they already have a company, so that they can go to work in the Netherlands. For business start-ups, however, such a visa does not yet exist. Lucas pointed out that the UK does have such a visa for start-ups. She called on Kamp to follow the example of the UK and remove the obstacles for business people from outside the EU who want to start a new company in the Netherlands, with the possibility of rolling it out further in Europe later on. Kamp said he is interested in the suggestion of his fellow-party member. He promised to work for such a visa. To this end, he will get together with his Social Affairs and Employment and at Security and Justice counterparts. The minister promised to draw up measures in December to help financing innovative company start-ups. He will also then present a scheme for 'business angels' who invest in innovative start ups. The schemes are to come into force in the first quarter of 2014, the minister said. On the other hand, Kamp was against Lucas’ proposal to make it fiscally attractive for private individuals to put money in start-ups. The minister said earlier experiences with one such fiscal facility has taught that this yields little,.